Casting a spell with a candle is no different than casting
any other spell. You can add some ritualistic movements or gestures,
but the basic concepts should be the same. But you should understand
the Candle Magik Basics before you
attempt one of the following ritual outlines.

With that said, the following is an example of two different
magikal events. The first is a simple ritual and the second is
a complete Candle Magik Ceremony.

Before you begin any ritual or spiritual work, please review
these three very important postings.

This is my personal nightly candle lighting
ritual. Although it's simple in method and form, the results
are successful and approached with the same reverence and respect
as a complete candle ceremony.

Stand before the candle, close your eyes and take a deep
breath.

Align yourself with the Great Spirit (the God/Goddess, whatever
you chose).
By this we mean, try to center yourself, or put your thought
and being in that place you consider to be divine and holy.

Open your eyes and light the match or lighter. As you light
the wick of the candle, say your prayer. (Prayer
examples.)

Always begin by giving thanks to the God/Goddess for the
blessings of your day. You can be specific or general, as long
as you have the heart felt meaning behind the words.

Say your prayer, or spell, for what you're lighting this
candle for.
Here's an example of my prayer:
~ Great Spirit, Creator of All That Is. We give thanks for
the blessings and protection you've provided us this day. We
honor the wisdom and love you've added to our lives. As we light
this candle, please allow it's warmth and light to act as a beacon
for our desires of health and happiness through the night and
throughout tomorrow. We give great thanks for your assistance
and honor to all the unseen forces who have provided us with
support and blessings this day, and for this special request.
Unehlanvhi nvwhtohiyada. (Cherokee - God's Peace)

Allow the candle to burn for at least 30 minutes. Never
leave your candle burning unattended. I leave the candles lit
from the time I come home from work, until we go to bed.

When you're ready to blow out the flame; Give thanks to the
God/Goddess for the energy they have added to the flame and to
your spell/prayer. Then blow out the flame.

A Candle Magik Ceremony

This is an in depth and ritualistic ceremony for casting
Candle Magik. Make sure you are properly prepared to begin this
kind of ceremonial work prior to entering your circle.

Preparation:

Gather your tools. The candle you've selected, a ceremonial
plate to place the candle on while it burns, lighter or matches,
meditation music, your ceremonial broom, two ropes made of natural
fibers ~ one long to make your circle and one short to bind your
hand to the spell being cast, your ceremonial dagger, an offering
for the God/Goddess and Spirits who you call upon for help, and
any additional items you wish to include, such as crystals,
pictures etc.

Prepare your ritual space. Clean up and dust your alter and
the area around it where you'll be creating your circle. Once
the physical work is done, clear and cleanse
your space spiritually as well.

Before you begin any ritual, you need to prepare yourself
too. After all your physical being and energy are part of the
tools you'll be including in the ceremony. Take a shower or bath
and get rid of the grit and grim of the day. This will also help
you to relax and prepare your mind and spirit for aligning your
energies. Conduct a mediation to open your
chakras and raise your energy level for the ceremony.

Before you begin, think about what you want to say as you
cast your spell. You can write out a rhyme, a verse or use plain
or old style English. What ever feels comfortable to you. Write
out your spell in 3 separate verses. Each verse should be at
least 2 lines long, there is no limit to the length, but you'll
recite each verse 3 times in this method; so you might not want
to make them too long.
I highly recommend you write them down before you begin. I do
this for 2 reasons. First, by the time you get through the preparations
for casting your spell, you might forget what you were going
to say. As you try to figure it out, the energy you've created
will fade and you might add 'confusion' or 'disorientation' to
your ritual. Secondly, it's a great way to keep a record of your
rituals. You should record the date and time, weather conditions,
where you're conducting the ritual and finally the spell being
recited. Later you can go back and record the results of your
casting. What you like about your ritual and what you didn't
like and might change next time.

One thing I like to do is light two or three white candles
around my ritual space to add some light after the lights are
turned out. Remember the best time to practice your magik is
at night. If you don't want to fumble around in the dark, you
might add this to your preparations too. I like to use 3 candles,
saying a simple prayer over each one asking God to add light
and guidance to my ceremony. Now you should have everything ready
for your ceremony. Let's begin.

Open Your Circle:

Face northward, holding the long rope in your hands. Raise
the rope to the God/Goddess and say a prayer of protection and
call upon the divine energy as you draw your circle.

Lay one end of the rope on the floor, moving in a clockwise
motion to the east. Place the rest of the rope on the floor to
shape a circle. The circle should be large enough for you to
sit inside and should include your alter if possible. Don't step
inside the circle as you lay out the rope. When you have finished,
you should be standing at the top (north) of the circle, facing
south.

Move around the outside of the circle to the southern or
bottom part. Face North again. Hold up your ceremonial broom
and say a prayer to the God/Goddess, asking that this broom be
the doorway between your physical world and the spiritual world
being created inside the circle. Ask the Divine Spirit to watch
over your circle, using the broom as a gateway for you to enter
this sacred space, and as a barrier for any negative, earthbound
or physical interferences to be kept out. Lay the broom down
on the floor, hilt pointing to the east.

As you step over the broom into the circle, state your purpose
for entering this sacred space. Once inside, imagine a doorway
of divine energy closing behind you.

Some witches like to draw out a large pentacle once they're
inside the circle. If you'd like to add this to your ritual,
you can do it in a variety of ways. You can draw out the pentacle
with another long piece of rope (again, made from natural fibers),
with seeds (a nice touch if your alter is outside), powdered
incense to sprinkle on the floor (you might have to vacuum after
your done), or burn an incense stick and draw the circle with
the smoke (a native American type method).

To draw the pentacle, start at the north again. Raise the
rope, seeds or whatever in the air and say a prayer for spiritual
guidance and an increase in energy. Start at the northern point
and draw out a 5 pointed star, moving clockwise again. Go from
the north to the southeast, to the west, across to the east,
down to the southwest and completing the star at the northern
point again.

Invoke The Spirit:

Once you have entered your sacred circle, close your eyes
and call upon the spirits, the God/Goddess, as well as, your
spiritual guides and teachers.

First call your personal Spirit
Guide and solicit their assistance during the ritual. Your
personal guide can assist you to maintain focus and concentration
during the ritual as well as, aid in your tasks within the circle.
You might call upon them like this: (State your guides' name), I call upon your guidance and
love to assist me during this spiritual ceremony. To help me
maintain my focus, energy and alignment for divine purpose and
work.

There are just as many ways to call upon spirit as there
are people on the earth. You may like the traditional rhyming
verses of old Wiccan covens, or modern speech with specific details
concerning the energy you're calling upon. Or you may be like
me and you've found a way to combine your Catholic up bringing
with your Wiccan beliefs and use both in your invocations.

Many witches align their energies with their personal deity
or Pantheon at this point as well.I believe in the spiritual existence of myself as a perfect
image of (deity' name). In this reflection that is my physical
embodiment, I align myself and my faith in the supreme guidance
of my soul with the ancient powers and wisdom of (state the deity'
name once more).

Here is where you can call upon the Four
Corners of the Wind, The Four WatchTowers, or as I do, the
Four White Dragons.

However you chose to call upon the spirit(s), make sure you're
stating your purpose for the summoning, asking permission or
inviting (not demanding) them to join you. Make sure you give
proper thanks and offerings for their assistance as well.

Lighting The Candle:

Once you have invited the divine spirits to join you, and
called upon the Four Corners, you can sit inside your circle
and prepare for casting.

Begin with closing your eyes and imagining a flame being
lit within your own body. Imagine your spiritual essence, lighting
a flame in your solar plexus. This is your divine light, the
spirit within you that will provide the energy to the wick of
your candle. With each breath you take, imagine the flame inside
your being growing stronger and brighter. Until it fills your
entire body with it's warmth and bright light.

Open your eyes, take the matches/lighter in hand and light
the wick of your candle.

The Spell Casting:

As soon as the flame is lit, use your right hand to draw
a pentacle over the flame. (Not too close, you don't want to
get burned.) Start in the north, as explained above in the Opening
Your Circle section. You can use the center of your palm as the
drawing force, the tips of your fingers or just one finger, it's
up to you.

Next, make a circle with your hands about 3 inches over the
top of the candle. Thumb touching thumb, and middle finger touching
middle finger. No other fingers should be touching.

Slowly lower your "hand circle" over and around
the candle to it's base. As you do, cast your spell. You should
be able to recite your first verse 3 times before reaching the
bottom of the candle.

As you recite the spell, imagine the color of the candle
rising up into the flame. Imagine your words carrying the light
and energy of the spell from your hands into the candle and into
the flame. Imagine all these energies combining, taking shape
and form within the flame of the candle. As your recite the spell
for the 3rd time, imagine the energy you've created going out
into the spiritual world through the light and smoke of the flame,
making it's way to manifestation.

Repeat this step for the remaining 2 versus of your spell.
Each verse is stated 3 times. If you've noticed, you cast your
spell in the 3x3 form. 3 versus, stated 3 times.

Meditation:

No matter what your ceremony is for, we believe you should
add a moment of meditation to the event. In this altered state,
a witch can add to a spell by visualizing the energy being created,
seeing it in your mind as it manifests and comes to form. You
can contact the God/Goddess and engage them in a private ritual
as well. You can use this time to thank the forces that have
helped you this evening. Lastly , you might ask for clarity of
vision or a better understanding in the situation at hand.

I like to add some preselected New Age or spiritual music
to my meditations. I suggest your meditation last for a minimum
of 15 minutes, but not longer than 45 or 60 minutes.

Thank The Spirits:

Before you conclude your ritual, you should formally thank
the spirits, deities and God/Goddess for their assistance. Typically
this is done through an offering of some type. Bread and wine
is a common offering, but if you're a male witch, baking bread
or muffins just isn't at the top of your list of things to do.
So you might offer seeds for planting, or a seedling tree that
will be planted in the honor of the spirits. There are as many
different types of offerings as there are covens and witches
in the world. Be true to your heart and your emotion, and select
an offering that will have the most meaning to you.

Close The Circle:

Conclude your ritual by closing
your chakra centers. When you have completed this step, stand
inside your circle. Face north and give thanks once more for
this sacred space. Turn southward and imagine the energy door
opening, allowing you to exit while still protecting the circle.
Step over the broom and imagine the doorway closing behind you.

Allow the candle to burn inside the circle for at least 30
minutes. Never leave your candle burning unattended. After 30
minutes you can re-enter the circle. If you want to move the
candle to another location and allow it to continue burning,
that's fine. Here's how I recommend you do it.

Stand before the door and imagine the gateway opening. Step
over the broom and enter the circle, imagining the door closing
behind you. State your purpose for moving the candle and ask
that the energy within the circle be transferred with it. I give thanks for the light and wisdom of the flame and ask
that it's energy be transferred to (where you're going to move
it, such as a fireplace mantle) so this flame may continue to
burn for (state what the purpose of your spell was).

Lift the candle and the ceremonial plate together. Turn to
the south and imagine the doorway opening. Cross over your broom
and this time, as you leave the circle, imagine a sphere of energy
encircling the candle and plate as you exit. Imagine this sphere
holding inside it, all the love and light and blessings that
were created inside your sacred space. Imagine this sphere staying
with the candle as you place it in the new location.

Return to the circle door and state: I give thanks for the energy and love created in this sacred
circle. I ask that the love and blessings stay with me always
as I walk my spiritual path. I now close this space and disperse
the energy within for the highest purpose and benefit for all.
Blessed Be the light of the God and Goddess.

With that, you can remove the broom. Then the rope for the
circle. If you created a pentacle within the circle, remove that
next (unless you're outside and you used seeds). Lastly, clean
up your tools and your alter. Put everything in it's place of
honor.

When the cleaning is all done, I like to say one more thanks
for the blessings of the space and energy, with a slight bow
to close and top off the ritual.

When you're ready to blow out the flame; Give thanks to the
God/Goddess for the energy they have added to the flame and to
your spell/prayer. Then blow out the flame.

Post Ritual Work

When you have completed your rituals your next step should
be to sit down with pen and paper and record the event while
it's still fresh in your mind. Write down the steps of your ritual
and any alterations you made while conducting the event. Include
your thoughts, feelings and impressions during each part of the
ceremony. And finally any closing thoughts you may have about
the event. You may also want to return to this summary and record
any updates that may occur.